As they say, best laid plans.. My original ‘first’ for this week was ice skating, not life changing.. No, but a first and as I set out I thought it would be easily achievable. I was hesitant with the sun shining and wondered if an indoor activity was the correct choice. As I approached the rink I realised someone with more influence than I had thought the same thing, it was closed to the public!
Having parked up in Blackpool and resigning myself to the fact I was not going to be gliding across ice like Bambi. I needed to re-evaluate the choice of something to be my ‘first’. Not inspired in any way by Ronan Keating, but by the fact I was stood below the highest roller coaster in the country, I decided to ride ‘The Big One’ as Blackpool’s pleasure beach describe it. Then the question of, is it technically a ‘first’, as I have been on different roller coasters before. The benefit of only having yourself as referee in these matters is that you can basically and absolutely make the decision. As said previously the whole concept of doing ‘firsts’ is to question and test ones own view of oneself and the society in which we exist. So onwards to the queue and join the visitors, who had made their choice to ride the biggest and fastest roller coaster in England.
It is very strange that if you ever find yourself alone in a crowded holiday environment the only people who choose to speak to you are either drunk, psychotic or both. But then how refreshing to find someone willing to strike up a conversation which was interesting, relevant and funny ! It went along the lines of ‘are you scared, its high and fast, and I am going on with my dad’ bless, I think she was about twelve. At what point do we lose the ability to converse with an open mind and a freedom which goes with the innocence of youth. How sad we have to protect our young by corrupting the beauty of their thoughts.
After taking my seat on the ride and the starting skyward, second thoughts were to late. The memory of the time I had to conquer a fear of heights to climb a neighbours ladder and rescue their cat which had decided to climb out of a bedroom window and just sit purring in the gutter. Nerves put to one side I was very confident as I lifted poor Jet out of the gutter and started my descent, and then released the feline to freedom, but as a classic comic film director would have loved after less than ten minutes of his dramatic rescue he was sat in the gutter again. This time he was left to his own recovery, which annoyingly he found very easy. He did not look down once as he scrambled back up to the open window.
It may not pacify an adrenaline junkie, but the height and the speed of that ride is awesome. I would recommend the ride to anyone, please if you ever go to Blackpool take the ride !!

Hopefully next weeks ‘first’ will be better planned!!

Whatever, wherever, I will let you know how the third ‘first’ happens.

As always please keep a smile close to your mouth.